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Steps towards Sea Recovery <br />j--Hawaiian Monk Seal Protection <br />Hawaiian monk seals are protected by the Marine <br />Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the <br />Endangered Species Act (ESA), which listed the <br />Hawaiian monk seal as endangered in t9~6. For <br />more information on the ESA visit: <br />www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/laws/esa. These acts aim <br />a <br />to protect the species and the ecosystems upon <br />which they depend. Harming, harassing, taking, or <br />killing animals protected by these laws is strictly <br />prohibited, and offenders can be fined as much as <br />g5o,oo0. These laws also demand that governmental <br />agencies do what they can do help these species <br />recover and prevent them from going extinct. <br />Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery <br />A monk seal recovery team was established by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration <br />(NOAA) in 1983 to coordinate research and management activities for the seal's recovery. The Hawaiian <br />monk seal recovery team (HMSRT) released a new <br />recovery plan in August, zoos. The recovery plan can <br />be found at: www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/pdfs/ <br />recovery%hawaiianmonksealpdf. The recovery plan <br />identifies actions that collectively could stabilize and <br />eventually recover the species, including: <br />• Improving female survival <br />• Reducing shark predation <br />• Captive care for injured or malnourished seals <br />• Removal of hazardous debris <br />It's essential to move forward with Hawaiian monk seal recovery now. Every year we wait brings the <br />Hawaiian monk seals closer to extinction. Survival rates of monk seal pups have dropped from 80-90% in <br />the r97os to lower than r5% today. As the older breeding females begin to pass away, there are fewer <br />younger animals maturing, which could lead to a catastrophic collapse of the entire population. Unless <br />major actions are taken toward recovery in the next 5 or ro years, the population of Hawaiian monk seals <br />will continue to decline. Hawaiian monk seals need our help now. With adequate public and private _ _. <br />support and effective state and federal management we will be able turn this situation around. <br />Save ~ur Seals <br />Marine Conservation Biology Institute -Hawaii <br />Keiko Bonk • uu i4`h Ave. Honolulu HI 96Bi6 • (Bo8) qg8-6888 <br />c~d8-~ <br />• <br /> <br />